The Denver Broncos get to host a playoff game for the first time since the 2015 NFL Season, when they hosted Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. It's been an entire decade, something that many teams do not endure.
A huge reason why the Broncos have seemingly rebuilt this team so quickly is due to the sharp eye of George Paton, the team's GM. The tenure did not get off to a great start, as he honestly committed two fireable offenses by trading for Russell Wilson and hiring Nathaniel Hackett. It was a worthy swing, and one that other teams would have made, but it simply did not work out.
Since then, Paton got serious, helped facilitate the move to bring Sean Payton to the team, and has since seen a plethora of his draft picks develop into high-end contributors for this team. If Denver beats the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, it's going to be because of the players George Paton drafted.
The Denver Broncos will win this game because of George Paton-drafted players
It's honestly a bit insane how many draft picks George Paton has hit on during his time with the Denver Broncos, and how many of them were non-first round picks. Riley Moss has turned into one of the best CB2s in the NFL. He was a third-round pick. Patrick Surtain II is the best defensive back in the league. The elite EDGE duo of Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper were second and seventh-round picks, respectively.
All four of those starters are going to have a huge impact if Denver wins. Being able to create pressure on Josh Allen and keep their pass-catchers contained will make the Buffalo Bills one-dimensional. Ja'Quan McMillian was an undrafted free agent and a gem of a find by the front office, as he's been in the middle of some major plays this year.
Offensively, the Broncos go as Bo Nix goes, and Nix has done nothing but win and cement his status as a franchise QB. The offensive line is anchored in part by Quinn Meinerz, a third-round pick who has turned into the best guard in the NFL.
Fourth-round pick Troy Franklin, at just 22 years old, has really taken a stride this year and is a much more efficient player. Starting center Luke Wattenberg, while on IR, has also turned into a stable starter and someone who recently signed a contract extension worth nearly $50 million.
I say all of this to say that George Paton's draft picks are littered all over the place on this roster, and in Paton's tenure, the Denver Broncos have invested the right amount of resources into the right positions. It's created a team that could win it all this year, and if the Broncos do defeat the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, a ton of Paton's draft picks will play a huge part in the win.